Secwepemc Media Advisory Regarding Trudeau's visit to Kamloops BC

Liberal Party Campaign – Risky Investment

January 8, 2019 CHASE, B.C. - The TransMountain Expansion pipeline, being forcibly imposed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadian government, constitutes the violation of collectively held human and Indigenous rights of the Secwepemc. The Secwepemc stand in solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en, who have been forcibly removed from their unceded ancestral lands in opposition to TransCanada Coastal Gas pipeline.

The world is watching as the Prime Minister of a country like Canada, that boasts one of the top highest qualities of living in the world, uses taxpayers money to violate human and Indigenous rights in his failure to obtain Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) from the collectively held rightful title holders. Justin Trudeau and the TransMountain pipeline have used unjust, divisive and socially irresponsible tactics by selectively choosing some elected Chief and Councils who have signed agreements to the pipeline, without the consent of the whole Nation. The criminalization and militarization of our water protectors is a part of historical and ongoing cycle of oppression, and a karmic pattern that ultimately affects people of all creeds and cultures, who are coming to realize more fully the ways that our realities are entangled in the cross cultural narrative that is unfolding.

We invite the Rainbow Peoples (People of all creeds and cultures) to stand in solidarity with us when we demand that Justin Trudeau and the Canadian government end apartheid in Canada, and Stop TransMountain Pipeline by implementing Indigenous rights and FPIC, as a measure of protecting and conserving the bio-diversity and cultural heritage of humanity for the benefit of all.

"We are in a critical state of emergency dealing with the impacts of climate change, social injustices and huge disparity in social determinants of health,” said Secwepemc leader Dawn Morrison, adding “this includes loss of control in decision making in matters impacting our traditional land and food system, as well as social issues such as poverty, increased violence against our women and high rates of death from substance abuse in our communities.”

Morrison, founder of the Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty, says “the health of all Peoples downstream relies heavily on our ability to protect clean drinking water, both of which are at risk from both climate change and spills from the TransMountain pipeline that are inevitable.” The Secwepemc’ulecw Assembly is demanding a moratorium on any pipeline proposing to transport crude or diluted bitumen through our vast traditional territory where we are stewards of the forests, fields and waterways that flow from the Rockies on their way to the ocean.

We reaffirm our territorial title and authority. “We have never provided and will never provide our collective free, prior and informed consent - the minimal international standard - to the Trans Mountain Pipeline Project.

“We explicitly and irrevocably refuse its passage through our territory. Investors take note, there is no Secwepemc consent for Kinder Morgan. Kinder Morgan will not pass through Secwepemc Territory.”

The time is now to invest in a more regenerative economy based on renewable energy and divest from the exploitative fossil fuels industry that is driving climate change beyond the 1.5 degree threshold.